af2 honors Everett WR Richey

Published 11:08 pm Thursday, July 12, 2007

EVERETT – For the second time this season, it’s Josh by gosh.

Record-setting Everett wide receiver Josh Richey has been named arenafootball2 offensive player of the week after helping lead the Hawks to a 75-49 victory over the Tennessee Valley Vipers last Saturday.

The second-year player from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma previously received the same honor following his performance in a May 18 loss at Quad Cities.

Against the Vipers, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Richey caught eight passes – including five for touchdowns – for 120 yards. He caught a pair of TD passes from quarterback Jason Campbell in the third quarter that built the Hawks’ lead to 55-20 and essentially put the game out of reach.

Richey, who leads af2 in receiving yards (1,582), touchdown receptions (38) and scoring (234 points), set a league record against Tennessee Valley by exceeding 100 yards in receptions for the ninth consecutive game.

Richey will have the opportunity to break his own record when the Hawks (4-9) visit the reeling Bakersfield Blitz (5-8) Saturday night.

After getting off to a 4-2 start the Blitz has lost six of their past seven games, including a 47-16 drubbing at Boise last Saturday.

Campbell ties team mark: By Richey’s lofty standards, his effort against Tennessee Valley was fairly pedestrian. Quarterback Jason Campbell, on the other hand, had a career outing against the Vipers.

The rookie sensation from Arkansas Tech was 24-for-35 passing for 299 yards.

The 10 touchdown passes he threw to five different receivers tied a team record set by Brian Baker, now with Tri-Cities, in a 69-68 loss at Spokane in the 2006 season final.

Campbell has thrown 60 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions in the past eight games. He ranks No. 8 in af2 with a passing efficiency rating of 110.8. Only Central Valley’s Clay Groefsema ranks higher among West Division quarterbacks (No. 4, 117.4).

Bakersfield players charged in hotel incident: The Bakersfield Blitz’s Maurice Troutman was arrested Sunday and teammate Rennard Reynolds was arrested Monday following an incident alleged to have occurred in a Boise hotel room following the team’s loss to the Boise Burn Saturday night, according to the Idaho-Statesman newspaper.

Troutman, a 25-year old native of Long Beach, Calif., is charged with raping a Boise woman in her hotel room early Sunday morning. Reynolds, 30, and also a native of Long Beach, is charged with felony burglary in connection with the incident.

Bakersfield television station KGET-17 reported on its Website the pair may face additional charges. The station also reported Ada County prosecutors Wednesday indicated the alleged victim is a friend of one of the players.

In the aftermath of the players’ arrests the team remained in Boise until Tuesday. Team officials reportedly cooperated with investigating authorities.

Ada County prosecutors said Troutman was staying in the same hotel as the woman, got her room key card by unknown means then went to her room early Sunday and assaulted her. Prosecutors said Troutman later gave the key to Reynolds and told him there were items of value in the woman’s room.

Troutman and Reynolds remained in the Ada County Jail Thursday.

Bond has been set at $300,000 for Troutman and $150,000 for Reynolds. A preliminary hearing for Troutman has been set for July 23. Reynolds is scheduled to be back in court July 31.

Troutman, a defensive lineman, ranks No. 5 in sacks in af2 (10.5) and Reynolds is No. 7 in both receptions (103) and yardage (1,281).